Thailand’s BST skips 2014 turnaround at MTBE unit

26 September 2013 12:23[Source: ICIS news]

BANGKOK (ICIS)--Thailand's Bangkok Synthetics (BST) will skip the scheduled turnaround at its Map Ta Phut-based methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) plant in 2014, and may shut the facility in 2015 or 2016 for regular maintenance, a company source said on Thursday.

BST owns a 55,000 tonne/year MTBE plant which is currently operating at high rates, the source said, without specifying the exact run rates.

“The [MTBE] unit does not need to shut every year for turnaround. This depends on our supplier,” he said.

BST primarily sells MTBE domestically and has a minor volume of term exports, he added.

MTBE is used as an additive to improve the octane levels in gasoline.

Author: Ong Sheau Ling

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